# US 8,770,148 B2 · Filter for pet fountain

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- Number: US 8,770,148 B2
- Document ID: US8770148B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/841,346
- Filed: 2013-03-15
- Published: 2013-09-05
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2009-09-21
- Assignees: Pioneer Pet Products, LLC
- Applicants: Pioneer Pet Products, LLC
- Inventors: John M. Lipscomb; Qing He; Stanley Suring
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770148B2

## CPC

- A01K 7/00: Watering equipment for stock or game
- A01K 7/02: Automatic devices
- B01D 35/02: Filters adapted for location in special places, e.g. pipe-lines, pumps, stop-cocks, (B01D35/05 takes precedence; {water pipe system filters E03B3/18, E03B7/07; dirt catchers in sewers E03F; filters or strainers for pipe-lines in general B08B, E03F; object or dirt catching devices in sinks or the like E03C1/26; suction strainers or filters for pumps F04B53/005, F04D29/70})
- B01D 35/30: Filter housing constructions
- F04B 23/021: {the pump being immersed in the reservoir}
- Y10T 137/8376: Combined
- Y10T 137/86035: Combined with fluid receiver
- A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A pet drinking fountain assembly having a pump forming part of a fountain mounting arrangement that includes a lift tube coupling a cover to the pump coupled to a lower basin by a mount. The mount and lift tube attenuate pump noise and vibration by providing isolation from the basin and cover and can function as dampeners. In a preferred embodiment the pump is part of a pump module that includes a module housing to which the pump is attached by another noise-attenuating mount. Each mount is formed by one or more suction cups with the cups and lift tube made of vibration dampening material, such as a resilient vibration dampening or isolating material that can be an elastomeric material. The module includes a lift tube coupling discharge that registers in fluid flow communication with a pump outlet and can include a ring or bushing therebetween providing additional noise attenuation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A filter for use with a pump module used with a pet fountain assembly, the filter comprising:
a filter housing arranged in a pump module having a pump that recirculates water through a pet fountain assembly, the filter housing comprising a pair of perforated surfaces arranged outwardly of a filter media and the filter housing having a locator formed in or by the filter housing that locates the filter within the pump module relative to the pump; and
wherein the filter media is arranged within the filter housing and filters the water flowing through the filter.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The filter of claim 1 wherein the pump module defines a module base and a module cover and wherein the filter housing is held releasably captive between the module base and the module cover.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The filter of claim 1 wherein the filter media is comprised of a plurality of different types of filter media with one of the types of filter media comprised of fibrous filter media and another one of the types of filter media comprised of an adsorption-type filter media.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The filter of claim 1 wherein the filter housing comprises a body and a cap connected to the body defining a space therebetween in which the filter media is held.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The filter of claim 4 wherein the perforated surfaces are defined at the body and cap of the filter housing.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The filter of claim 5 wherein the perforated surfaces include slots that extend through the body and cap of the filter housing.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The filter of claim 1 wherein the filter housing defines a generally V-shaped arrangement that accommodates the pump of the pump module.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The filter of claim 1 wherein the filter housing comprises a wall including a pair of wall segments which converge to form a generally right-angled wall bracketing an adjacent corner of the pump of the pump module.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The filter of claim 8 wherein the filter housing comprises a pair of sidewalk extending from respective ends of the wall segments of the rear wall.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The filter of claim 9 wherein the filter housing comprises a curved front wall extending interconnecting the sidewalls of the filter housing.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The filter of claim 1 wherein the filter housing comprises a pair of wall segments that form a generally right-angled rear wall having a generally-right angled recess generally conforming part of the rear wall of the filter housing to a corner of the pump defining a locator that locates the filter within the pump module relative to the pump using the pump.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The filter of claim 1 wherein the filter housing comprises a curved wall, and wherein the locator is defined by a notch formed in the curved wall that registers with part of the pump module locating the filter within the pump module relative to the pump such that water flows through the filter before flowing to the pump.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The filter of claim 1 wherein the filter housing comprises a wall comprised of a pair of wall segments having one of the pair of wall segments disposed at an angle relative to the other one of the pair of wall segments forming a recess in the wall generally conforming part of the filter to a portion of the pump defining the locator and wherein the locator locates the filter within the pump module using the pump.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The filter of claim 13 wherein the recess formed by the pair of wall segments disposed at an angle is generally V-shaped.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The filter of claim 14 wherein the recess formed by the pair of wall segments disposed at an angle is generally right-angled.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The filter of claim 1 wherein the filter is generally L-shaped.

### Claim 17

A filter for use with a pump module used with a pet fountain assembly, the filter comprising:
a filter housing having a pair of oppositely outwardly facing perforated surfaces each having a plurality of perforations formed therein and configured to removably seat in a pump module generally orienting the plurality of perforations of at least one of the oppositely outwardly facing perforated surfaces so water entering the pump module flows through the filter before entering a pump disposed in the pump module; and
a filter media arranged within the filter housing that filters the water flowing through the filter; and
wherein the filter housing has a generally V-shaped arrangement that accommodates the pump disposed in the pump module when the filter housing is seated in the pump module.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The filter of claim 17 wherein filter housing is of generally L-shaped construction.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The filter of claim 17 wherein the V-shaped arrangement is defined by a generally right-angled surface of the filter housing.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The filter of claim 17 wherein filter housing further comprises a locator that operably cooperates with the pump module to locate the filter in the pump module.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The filter of claim 20 wherein the locator is formed in part of the filter housing that registers with part of the pump module locating the filter in the pump module.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The filter of claim 21 wherein the locator comprises a notch formed in part of the filter housing.

### Claim 23

A filter for use with a pump module used with a pet fountain assembly, the filter comprising:
a filter housing having a pair of oppositely outwardly facing perforated filter housing surfaces each having of a plurality of filter perforations formed therein and configured to be removably carried by a pump module with the filter perforations generally overlying an intake vent of the pump module and wherein the pump module generally orients one of the perforated filter housing surfaces so the plurality of filter perforations formed therein face generally downwardly over the intake vent of the pump module so water entering the pump module flows generally upwardly through (a) the intake vent of the pump module, and (b) the filter perforations of the one of the perforated filter housing surfaces; and
a filter media arranged within the filter housing and disposed between the pair of oppositely outwardly facing perforated filter housing surfaces.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The filter of claim 23 wherein the filter housing comprises a wall disposed between the perforated filter housing surfaces that is of non-straight construction defining a recess that accommodates a pump of the pump module when the filter housing is carried by the pump module.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The filter of claim 24 wherein the non-straight wall of the filter housing comprises a pair of wall segments which converge to form an angled surface of the filter housing facing toward the pump of the pump module when the filter housing is carried by the pump module.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The filter of claim 25 wherein the angled surface formed by the converging wall segments comprises a generally right-angled surface that brackets an adjacent corner of the pump, and wherein the pump comprises a block-shaped or cube-shaped submersible pump disposed in the pump module.

### Claim 27 (depends on 23)

The filter of claim 23 wherein the filter housing comprises a wall disposed between the perforated filter housing surfaces that is of non-straight construction defining a recess that defines a locator that locates the filter relative to the pump module using a pump carried by the pump module.

### Claim 28 (depends on 23)

The filter of claim 23 wherein the filter housing comprises a wall disposed between the perforated filter housing surfaces that is of non-straight construction comprising a notch that defines a locator that locates the filter within the pump module relative to a pump of the pump module such that water flows through the filter before entering the pump.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The filter of claim 28 wherein the non-straight wall is curved and wherein the notch is formed in the curved wall and registers with part of the pump module in locating the filter within the pump module.

### Claim 30 (depends on 23)

The filter of claim 23 wherein the filter housing comprises (a) a first wall disposed between the perforated filter housing surfaces having a generally V-shaped arrangement that accommodates part of a pump of the pump module, and (b) a second wall disposed between the perforated filter housing surfaces having a locator that registers with or engages part of the pump module in locating the filter relative to the pump module.

### Claim 31 (depends on 23)

The filter of claim 23 wherein filter housing is of generally L-shaped construction defining a generally L-shaped filter.